For years, Snow Empress had accumulated enough power to surpass her limits, but breaking through as a soul beast was exponentially harder than for humans.
Legend had it that soul beasts were forbidden from attaining godhood, a decree supposedly made by the Dragon God.
After the Dragon God's fall, the God Realm declared that no soul beast could ever become a god. The rationale was that without the Dragon God's guidance, soul beasts were destined for ruin. To prevent this, the Dragon God issued the prohibition—a decision shaped by his own tragic fate. Suffering from a split personality, the Dragon God had massacred countless soul beasts and human deities alike before splitting himself into two beings, with his decree serving as a form of penance for his actions.
Qian Ran found this justification questionable. The Dragon God was long dead—who could confirm if he ever said such a thing? It felt more like a narrative crafted by the God Realm to placate soul beasts.
Soul beasts were inherently stronger than humans.
The absence of soul beasts in the God Realm spoke volumes. Qian Ran could only speculate, but a soul beast ascending to godhood would likely possess combat power surpassing that of human gods. The God Realm's hostility toward soul beasts suggested as much.
Historically, soul beasts had always been physically superior to humans. On the Douluo Continent, Di Tian remained the most powerful individual for centuries. Humanity's edge came from its technological advancements and ability to band together, gradually weakening the soul beasts' dominance.
But in terms of peak strength, humans might not hold their own against soul beasts.
If soul beasts could become gods, humanity's technological advantages would be nullified.
With their extended lifespans, soul beasts would have limitless time to explore and refine their powers. During the Dragon God's era, divine beasts were plentiful, their combat prowess unmatched.
Fearing a resurgence of such power, the God Realm barred soul beasts from ascending. Di Tian's rise to the Demigod level was an exception—he had been a god originally. While Soul Land 2: The Unrivaled Tang Sect didn't delve deeply into his power, later works clarified his origin.
Di Tian had fallen to the Douluo Continent after the Dragon God's demise, his divine rank reduced to a Demigod. As the Dragon God's personal guard captain, his strength far surpassed an ordinary Ultimate Douluo.
Yet no soul beast on the Douluo Continent had ever reached the Demigod level.
The natural order wouldn't allow it. No matter their efforts, soul beasts couldn't take that final step.
If Snow Empress succeeded, she would be the first soul beast to reach the Demigod level purely through cultivation.
Qian Ran and Ice Empress watched in anticipation.
Snow Empress radiated increasingly potent energy, drawing power from the icy spring of the Icefire Yin Yang Well.
Pop!
A faint, crisp sound seemed to echo through the void.
The invisible chains binding Snow Empress to the laws of heaven and earth shattered in an instant.
At that moment, Snow Empress became acutely aware of her transformation.
Her soul power hadn't increased dramatically, but her ability to manipulate the world's energy had surged. She could now channel the forces of nature to crush her enemies. Even her Ultimate Ice had begun to transcend its prior limits.
No longer merely an extreme pursuit of cold, her power now embodied the essence of a universal law.
Her strength depended less on her internal reserves and more on the ambient ice elements in her surroundings.
This distinction marked the divide between soul masters and gods. Soul masters relied on their own energy, while gods wielded the power of the world itself, becoming avatars of specific elements.
For example, Qian Renxue could draw upon the Sun's divine energy—an overwhelming force no soul master could rival.
"Snow Empress actually succeeded," Ice Empress exclaimed joyfully. She could sense that Snow Empress' aura had grown significantly stronger, surpassing her previous peak.
This breakthrough elevated Snow Empress to a new realm. Measuring her strength by soul beast lifespan was now meaningless.
Previously, soul beasts were suppressed by the natural order, forcing them to equate their strength to their lifespan. But stepping into the Demigod realm transcended this paradigm.
Now, only Di Tian, also a Demigod, could rival Snow Empress. No other soul beast, regardless of its lifespan, could compare.
Snow Empress was now a "half-divine beast." Though far from true divinity, she stood leagues above most soul beasts.
In fact, Snow Empress might even surpass Di Tian.
Though Di Tian was a Demigod, his status as a traditional soul beast subjected him to the suppressive laws of heaven and earth. This restriction severely limited the extent of his Demigod powers and explained why Ultimate Douluo and other fierce beasts could injure him.
A Demigod's strength lay in their ability to harness the elements of the world. True gods could dominate their chosen element completely.
But as a soul beast, Di Tian couldn't fully utilize the world's power due to the God Realm's restrictions.
Snow Empress, on the other hand, had bypassed those barriers. Recognized by the system, her Demigod status carried greater weight.
The system's endorsement far exceeded the God Realm's authority.
As a system-acknowledged Demigod, Snow Empress faced no rejection from the natural order. Instead, the world seemed to embrace her presence.
She could feel the difference.
Where once an unseen barrier blocked her understanding of the world's mysteries, that barrier had now crumbled, leaving her unshackled and free.
Even knowing the items Qian Ran provided were extraordinary, Snow Empress couldn't help but be astonished.
She understood the implications: from now on, her cultivation path was boundless, with no obstacles in sight.
"Qian Ran, I've succeeded." After an indeterminate time, Snow Empress opened her eyes, lightly tapping the air with her toes before leaping into Qian Ran's arms.
She was now a Demigod.
"Looks like I need to step up my training," Ice Empress said, clearly provoked. Snow Empress could now defeat her effortlessly. Even against Di Tian, Snow Empress would hold her ground, even outside the Extreme North.
More importantly, Snow Empress could continue growing, no longer trapped in stagnation.
"Ice Empress, if you don't start working harder, you'll never catch up to me," Snow Empress teased, a rare playful glint in her eyes.
"Hmph, I'm not jealous! I'll break through soon enough," Ice Empress retorted, puffing out her chest and resolving to intensify her training. The Icefire Yin Yang Well was an excellent environment for her cultivation.
"But, Qian Ran, where did you get such treasures? Something so miraculous..." Snow Empress asked, still filled with wonder.
What astonished her most wasn't just the tea's miraculous properties but the fact that the world's rejection of her had completely disappeared.
Under the current God Realm laws, soul beasts of her level were effectively barred from further progress. Now, she was on equal footing with humans.
(End of Chapter)